Updated on March 14th, 2023 at 03:57 pm

When you search for new golf clubs, one of the first things you will notice is a clear distinction made between women’s golf clubs and men’s golf clubs. The market has been very clearly defined this way for many years. However, it may or may not be necessary for golf clubs to be gender specific.

We are going to look at men’s vs. women’s golf clubs to learn the differences and the impacts of playing with one set or the other. If you have wondered what the specific differences are between men’s and women’s golf clubs, we have all the answers you need.

Differences In Men’s vs. Women’s Golf Clubs

The main differences between men’s and women’s golf clubs are the length, weight, and shaft. There is typically a larger selection of clubs that are built specifically for the male player, but this does not have to limit a female golfer.

Let’s take a deeper look at some of these differences.

Length of Clubs

The length of golf clubs designed for the average male is longer than the golf clubs designed for the average female. The length of a women’s golf club is typically about one inch shorter than the men’s golf clubs. However, it is crucial to understand that these lengths are not always exact.

Some golf club manufacturers will experiment with slightly different lengths in their golf clubs. This could mean that from one manufacture to another, there could be a difference of an 1/8 of an inch or so.

Therefore when choosing the length of the golf club, you purchase you should do it based on your height, your arm length, and also what feels good to you. Sometimes a better player can accommodate a slightly longer golf club simply because they have the ability to get extra clubhead speed.

Weight of the Club

The weight of a men’s golf club is typically quite a bit more than a ladies club. The interesting thing to remember here is that many men’s and women’s golf clubs will have the same club head. If the club has the same club head, the ladies golf clubs shafts will be what causes the difference in the weight.

Weight will impact a golfer’s swing speed. If men’s clubs are heavier than women’s clubs, they will technically take a bit more speed and strength to swing at the same speed. Ladies clubs are typically made to be lightweight so that women golfers can get the ball flight and distance that they need.

Shaft – Graphite or Steel

The shaft of a women’s golf club is typically quite different than that of a men’s golf club. The ladies’ shafts are almost always graphite, whereas men’s golf clubs can feature both graphite or steel golf shafts. The shaft in a women’s club is supposed to help increase distance and lower overall spin.

Although most male golfers would love to have more distance in their swing, they are not all going to require that, and therefore the steel shafts can help control the golf ball a bit more.

Choosing golf clubs is hard; choosing the proper golf shafts is even more difficult. Women’s clubs tend to come with fewer custom shaft options than a men’s club head, but there will still be tough decisions to make.

A golf launch monitor can really help players understand which golf shaft is the best to consider.

Club Selection

If you look at the selection of golf clubs for men vs. the selection of golf clubs for women, there is a very large discrepancy. At first glance, it will look as though there are many more men’s woods, men’s drivers, and men’s iron sets on the market. However, this is not necessarily the case.

With the increase in custom golf club technology, women golfers can have any club that is marketed towards men and put a ladies golf shaft in it. Ladies’ golf shafts can be placed in any men’s club head to give women golfers just as many golf club options and choices as men.

For a lower handicap women golfer, this is going to be very important. Women’s drivers are typically going to be 12-15 degrees of loft with a very lightweight shaft. For a low handicap female golfer, this club head won’t be the right fit.

As you can see, club customization or golf club fitting is becoming even more critical.

Should I Use Men’s Or Women’s Golf Clubs?

The men’s vs. women’s golf club choice can be a difficult selection for some people. Some male golfers with lower swing speeds may benefit from a ladies club. However, it is more likely that a male golfer would play golf clubs for made specifically for seniors.  In addition, the female golfers with faster clubhead speed will almost need a men’s golf shaft.

Choose golf clubs based on your strengths and weaknesses as a player, not your gender. If you want to get around the golf course in the fewest number of strokes, you will need golf clubs that match your swing speed, playing ability, and strengths and weaknesses.

If you are not sure whether to use men’s or women’s golf clubs, consider going for a custom club fitting. The club fitting will give you great insight into your swing speed, spin, length of clubs you should play, and size of grips to play.  

Can Golf Clubs Be Unisex?

Golf clubs are not often made to be unisex because of the length differences that you will find between the two types of sets.

However, if you look at something like the TaylorMade SIM 2 Max driver, there is no difference between the male and the female version except for the length and the shaft.

If you look at it this way, golf clubs can be unisex; it is the shaft and the length that typically need to be customized to work for an individual player.

You may want to check out our recent reviews of the Best clubs for women for 2022 along with our selection of the highest rated golf clubs for men.   We even took it one step further, and played and tested the Best clubs for tall men. 

Additional Golf Club reviews:

 

Conclusion

Hopefully, you now understand the difference between men’s and women’s golf clubs. Some companies will offer a full line of women’s golf products, whereas others will simply offer length and shaft customization.

Either set could be a good fit for your game, but you must consider your strengths, weaknesses and potentially go for a custom fitting to know exactly which club to go with.